The student pilot had performed three uneventful landings with his instructor on board the Cessna 172; his CFI later stated that the student, “… performed way above the standards needed to show me he would be safe during solo flight.”
While flying solo for the first time, the student performed one uneventful touch-and-go landing and remained in the traffic pattern for Runway 9R in Miami, Florida. With a calm wind, the student pilot reported that the approach was normal, however, the landing was harder than normal.
He continued the takeoff roll for another touch-and-go landing but reported hearing a weird sound. He added power, and believe that was the moment when the nose landing gear tire deflated. He then felt a “strange movement and I felt the nose falling.”
He reduced power to abort the takeoff and then heard and felt something touching the floor.
After coming to rest he contacted the air traffic control tower and reported what occurred.
Post-accident inspection of the airplane by several FAA inspectors revealed the wings, upper fuselage, cabin, tail, main landing gear, primary flight controls, engine, and engine mount were intact. The nose landing gear inner cylinder was pushed up through the upper housing, and the firewall was damaged on the left, right, and aft sides of the nose landing gear mount. The upper quadrant of the firewall also exhibited a 7-inch buckle.
Following recovery of the airplane, the engine was started and found to operate normally. The operator also reported that the cabin floor was bent.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause as the failure of the student pilot to achieve a proper touchdown during a touch-and-go landing resulting in a hard landing and substantial damage.
NTSB Identification: ERA15CA038
This October 2014 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
One other contributing factor on a first solo is the change in weight and balance by not having the instructor on board. My instructor weighed about 250 lbs and when I soloed for the first time the plane floated for quite a long ways before it finally decided it was ready to land (glad it was a very long runway). The two subsequent landings went smoother, but it was still a different feel not having all that ballast. In hindsight, I like the idea of one and done for the first solo and then doing more on a different day when the adrenaline level has come back to normal.
Having sent many hundreds of First Solos, it has always been my practice for the student to do only ONE take off and landing, and no more flying for the day, due to the excitement of going first solo. To date, touch wood, have had no incidents.
I’m not a CFI, but I won’t put the entire blame on the CFI, after all the student performed above standards prior to solo. However, it would be wise to remain within sight with a handheld radio , but I don’t often see that.
The CFI was wrong.
I agree Russell, even when I conducted my 1st Solo w/out radio and private strip. Instructor stated not to get lost and one landing upon return to the local airport. Excitement is high and your emotions are heightened. Supervised solo later on in the pattern say with challenging winds is better for practice later including numerous TO’s and Landings.
I’ve been flying since 1957 and in my opinion the “touch and go” is one of the most dangerous maneuvers there is.
Student first solos should only include full stop landings.
harlie
Where was the CFI during all this commotion. A damaging landing of the kind described would be unmistakable and cause for immediate stoppage using a handheld radio or having instructed the student not to continue the takeoff following an unusually hard landing which obviously occurred. This wasn’t a touch and go rather a crash and go.
Does the crash landing count as a landing too?? He only needs one more for 3 take offs and landings done solo…idiot CFI???
I agree. This was not a ‘hard landing’ it was a survived crash.